âHuangâer, whatâs making you so sad? You and I have weathered life and death. No one can tear us apart in this life. Now that your Generation Binding Curse is undone, I can handle whatever comes, even if the skies cave in...â Jiang Chen stretched out a hand and clumsily wiped away the tears at the girlâs eyes.
Warmth suffused Huangâerâs heart when she took note of Jiang Chenâs ungainly motions. She valiantly got her emotions back under control and smiled. âBrother Chen, I just thought of the tragic parts of my background, is all, and couldnât help myself all of a sudden. Donât think less of me!â
Jiang Chenâs mood took a turn for the better when he saw the girl smile. He cupped her cheeks and planted a moving kiss on her forehead.
âDonât you worry. The skies canât really cave in, but even if they do, Iâll be right there to hold them up for you. This isnât an empty bluff, but a promise from me to you.â Jiang Chen grasped Huangâerâs hands and looked deep into her eyes with his solemn vow.
The fiery passion in his eyes would melt even the hardest ice, much less a couple madly in love. Huangâer was filled with boundless joy at these words. She nodded rapidly, wanting to fully preserve this happiness in her heart.
âBrother Chen... I...â The normally coolly composed Huangâer was overcome with emotion. Her heart pounded frantically in the face of such ardent declarations, and a bright flush crept up her neck.
Their eyes met, their lips inexorably attracted to each other like two ends of a magnet. In this moment, even the bright moon ducked behind a patch of clouds and refused to peek out. Languid feelings of love flowed in the courtyard.
An exceedingly discordant sound cut through the perfect atmosphere.
It was... a cough. An extremely sudden, perplexing, mood-killing cough...
Jiang Chen didnât make out who itâd come from, but he really wanted to smack whichever idiot it was to death.
âAi. Huangâer. Once is bad enough, must it happen a second time?â A clear voice cut through the air.
Hmm? Jiang Chen froze when he heard the voice. It was very foreign, absolutely the first time heâd ever heard of it. Who is it?
He moved Huangâer behind him and deployed Godâs Eye to the utmost. âWho is it?!â
It would be a lie to say that he wasnât alarmed at the moment. Security around the young lord residence was high and not just anyone could enter the Nine Sparks Petalstorm Formation. But here the voice was just in front of of them!
No matter who the other was, heâd been able to make it past the formation and into the residence. It was a most apprehensive development!
However, Huangâer grasped Jiang Chenâs hand tightly with an indifferent expression. âElder Xi, you seemed to have gone back on your word. Donât forget what you promised me!â
The sky was quiet for a long moment. Jiang Chen couldnât detect any ripples no matter how he deployed his consciousness. The void around them seemed to have sunk into unending emptiness, as if the residence had disconnected from the rest of Sacred Peafowl Mountain.
A soft sigh travelled from the air after a long time.
âI donât wish to do anything that ruins the mood, but Miss Huangâer, it would be a mistake upon a mistake if you took another step forward. Spilt water canât be gathered up, whatâs done wouldnât be able to be undone afterwards. Have you considered the consequences?â The one who Huangâer called Elder Xi finally spoke.
Jiang Chen snorted coldly. âWho might you be? What kind of person are you to hide and cower like this? Show yourself, no matter who you are!â
Heâd perceived that the other wasnât a simple character. It was obvious that it must be someone from Myriad Abyss Island. Huangâer didnât stop him, only tightened her grasp on Jiang Chenâs arm, as if deathly afraid that he would suddenly disappear.
âYouâre quite bold, young man, to falsely use the name of Myriad Abyss Island. Arenât you afraid that your lawless actions will bring down an extinction event on your Sacred Peafowl Mountain?â
Jiang Chen chuckled softly. âMyriad Abyss Island doesnât belong to one particular person. Donât you find your threat rather bizarre?â
Strange ripples suddenly emanated from the air, like an air current swirling through the void. It coalesced in the next second, revealing an elder not too far from Jiang Chen.
It was an ethereal-looking elder dressed in apricot yellow robes. He looked older than Elder Shun, but his eyes were uncommonly radiant. There seemed to be the infinite mysteries of the world hidden within.
âHuangâer, is the young man the person who cured your poison?â
Huangâer pulled on Jiang Chenâs arm proudly. âThatâs him, Elder Xi. Iâve already pledged myself to him. Whether in life or death, I, Yan Qinghuang, am his woman.â
Yan Qinghuang? Jiang Chen started. It was the first time heâd heard Huangâerâs real name. The girl murmured, âBrother Chen, I didnât tell you before not because I wanted to lie or hide things from you. I was afraid that if I suddenly left you one day, youâd look for me everywhere. That would only drag you down...â
Elder Xi frowned slightly. His woman whether in life or death? This brat?!
âImpossible!â Although Elder Xiâs tone was tough, his heart softened under Huangâerâs forceful gaze. âHuangâer, youâve always been smart. You should know that had your illness not been treated, there mightâve been a chance for you two. But since youâve been cured, any possibility for the two of you is no longer. I admit that this child is different from normal mundane youths. But Huangâer, you know what will happen to Sacred Peafowl Mountain if you stubbornly continue on your path.â
Huangâer had nothing to say to that. An exceedingly pained look appeared in her clear eyes, as if her heart had been broken into pieces by someone elseâs bare hands.
âElder Xi, is it?â Anger surged in Jiang Chenâs heart when he saw his woman this saddened and despairing. âI donât care who you are and what relationship you have with Huangâer. I only want to tell you that the skies wonât fall in when Iâm here. And even if they do, I can hold them up!â
Elder Xi sniffed derisively, but there seemed to be a hint of admiration within. It was drowned out by mockery and his expression suddenly sank. âAnd if you no longer existed?â
Huangâer panicked when she heard this. âElder Xi, Iâll die right here in front of you if you dare do anything!â
Jiang Chenâs anger exploded into fury and he seemed willing to do anything. He wrapped his arms around his woman. âHuangâer, donât be afraid! Who is he?! Is he the evil family who cast the curse on your parents and wants to use you as a cultivation cauldron?â
Frosty killing intent shot out from Jiang Chenâs eyes as he pieced together a plan. If the other really was a Myriad Abyss Island expert, then he was very likely stronger than a great emperor. Sacred Peafowl Mountain had no way to resist a personage like this.
The strongest trump card Jiang Chen had in his hand was the restriction in the abode that mid-empyrean expert Guo Ran had left behind. He wouldnât hesitate to use it if they really did erupt in open hostilities.
Huangâer quickly called out when she felt killing intent surge in her lover. âDonât misunderstand, Brother Chen. Elder Xiâs not from that family. Heâs... from my Yan family.â
âWhat?â Jiang Chen was thoroughly taken aback. Someone on their side?
âBrother Chen, Elder Xi is an elder of my family and has an even higher position than Elder Shun. Heâs one of the great elders of my family.â
Elder Xi frowned again. âHuangâer, thereâs no need to tell an outsider so many family secrets. Donât force me to destroy our agreement and kill him.â
Huangâer snorted lightly. âI wonât live on if anything happens to him!ân/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
The elder was displeased and snorted dismissively. âBrat, stop making faces at me. No matter how strong you are, youâre still relying on a woman to protect you today.â
âEnough, Elder Xi!â Huangâer wouldnât bear any insults to her beloved man. Normally placid to both insult and compliment, she roared like a leopard. âBrother Chen is the foremost beneath the heavens! Elder Xi, if heâd been born on Myriad Abyss Island, he would stomp on both Yan and Xiahou descendants! They wouldnât be fit to carry his shoes!â
âHeh heh, Miss Huangâer, I understand that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.â Elder Xi thought nothing of Huangâerâs words. âThis kid has a bit of skill and enough courage. However, a lowly birth is his original sin. What can he do in this life? So what if he trains to peak great emperor and can sweep the human domain? Compared to those in our world, weâre the heavens and he the earth, and a tiny ant on the ground at that.â
Elder Xi highly valued bloodlines. How would a lowly peon in the human domain compare to the noble bloodlines of Myriad Abyss Island? So what if one was monstrous in the human domain? How many heroes in the human domain commanded the skies and rain? But they couldnât even get to Myriad Abyss Island.
And even if they were so lucky as to make it, theyâd find out that a lowly birth was just a lowly birth in the end. They were nothing.
Huangâerâs face was as white as a sheet. She was highly infuriated by this response. âElder Xi, Brother Chen isnât the ant you think of. You...â
âThatâs enough. I donât care if heâs an ant or not. You should be rejoicing that itâs me here this time and not anyone else from the family. This place would be a mountain of corpses and blood by now if so. If someone from House Xiahou came, then the entire Veluriyam Capital would be destroyed. To House Xiahou, taking you in is the greatest sacrilege! Would they care about a bunch of ants in their anger?â